IMPACT OF STUDY ABROAD ON ETHNOCULTURAL EMPATHY AND GLOBAL

107 Pages·2010·0.46 MB·English

IMPACT OF STUDY ABROAD ON ETHNOCULTURAL EMPATHY AND GLOBAL-
MINDEDNESS

A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE
DOCTOR OF PHILOSPHY
BY
REBECCA A. HANSEN
DISSERTATION ADVISOR: DR. SHARON L. BOWMAN

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
MUNCIE, INDIANA
DECEMBER 2010
Acknowledgements
There are not enough words to express my gratitude and love to you, Nathan. You are my
biggest supporter, my refuge, my best friend, and my partner. Without you, none of this would
have been possible. This celebration is as much yours as it is mine, and I could not think of
anyone more deserving. You taught me the importance of patience, perseverance, laughter, and
humility. Your calmness and composure provided me with solace during a time in which I was
anything but calm and composed. Most importantly, you reminded me of the importance of
believing in the unbelievable and never letting go of the enchantment of your imagination. So
here’s to believing that magic should be real."Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry,
but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"- J.K. Rowling, spoken by Albus
Dumbledore
To my amazing parents, thank you. You provided more motivation and support than you
will ever know, and I am blessed and proud to have you as parents. You taught me to pursue my
dreams, no matter what obstacles may seemingly stand in my way. Your confidence and belief in
me gave me the motivation to pursue my dreams, and I am forever grateful for that.
I would not be here today if it were not for Dr. Sharon Bowman. As my Master’s
professor and advisor and now Chair of my doctoral committee, you have been an integral part
of both my personal and professional development. You believed in me when I had all but given
up on myself, and supported me throughout the years with the perfect mixture of encouragement
and fear. I am a stronger woman because of the example you set for me. Thank you.
I would also like to thank the other members of my doctoral committee for their assistance
throughout my doctoral program. Dr. Charlene Alexander, you were the first person to show me
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that counseling does not have to be limited to the traditional definition of the word. You
supported and guided me as I grew passionate about social justice issues. Dr. Theresa Kruczek,
you allowed me to take part in a life-changing semester abroad, and I will be forever grateful for
the experience. You have been a model of what it means to be a strong, assertive woman, and
you have been an integral part of my development. Dr. Charles Payne, thank you for your
multicultural expertise and constant support. Your encouragement and feedback were welcomed
and appreciated.
I must also acknowledge Thoreau’s quotation that has served as motivation for me
throughout my doctoral experience: “Go confidently in the directions of your dreams. Live the
life you have imagined.” Finally, to my friends and family who provided constant support,
encouragement, guidance, and love, thank you. I am the person I am today because of the impact
you have had on my life.

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a study abroad experience on levels of
ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. As the world has become more globalized, the
importance of possessing globalization and cross-cultural skills becomes essential. As a result,
many higher education institutions have recognized the need to produce globalized graduates.
One way universities are meeting this objective is by offering students study abroad experiences.
Educational leaders are faced with the task of promoting study abroad programs to students,
faculty, and stakeholders. Now more than ever, universities are being asked to provide concrete
evidence about the effectiveness and outcomes of studying abroad. Participation in study abroad
programs has continued to substantially increase over the past decade, resulting in a higher
demand of such international programs at universities (IIE, 2004). Short-term study abroad
programs have seen the most gains recently, which leads to the question of how length of time
impacts study abroad outcomes. Regardless of program length, in general it is agreed that
globalizing higher education is essential for graduates entering an ever-changing international
marketplace of careers.
The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, differences in ethnocultural
empathy and global-mindedness exist among students who choose to study abroad, those who
take a diversity course, and those who do neither (control group). A sample of 76 university
students (27 participants from the study abroad group; 24 students from the diversity class; and
24 students from the other CPSY group) completed the following measures: demographics
questionnaire, Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy, and Global-Mindedness Scale. It was
hypothesized that students who study abroad would exhibit higher levels of both pre- and post-
test ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. Additionally, it was expected that participants
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with previous experience abroad would have higher levels of both pre- and post-test
ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. Results indicated that levels of ethnocultural
empathy and global-mindedness did not differ based on the study abroad, diversity class, or
control group. Results did show that scores on both measures increased from the pre-test to the
post-test for both the diversity class and the control group. Results for the study abroad group
remained the same between the pre- and post-test for both measures. These results may indicate
different things. Students enrolled in the diversity class as well as the control groups are typically
minoring in Interpersonal Relations, of which each course has a multicultural emphasis. It is
plausible that those taking courses on-campus have received a more multiculturally-focused and
structured educational experience than the students who are studying abroad. Additionally,
students in the study abroad group were studying in either London or Australia, both of which
are English-speaking and culturally similar to the United States. It is possible that the results
would change based on study abroad participation in a non-English speaking country. Despite
the fact that this study had no significant findings, it has provided groundwork for future research
regarding study abroad experiences, ethnocultural empathy, and global-mindedness.

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Table of Contents
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
ABSTRACT iv
LIST OF TABLES viii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1
Globalization 2
Internationalization of Higher Education 2
Conceptual Framework 4
Learning by Direct Experience 4
General Empathy 5
Cultural Empathy 5
Ethnocultural Empathy 6
Global-Mindedness 7
Summary 8
Research Questions 9
Hypotheses 9
Definition of Terms 10

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 12
History of Study Abroad 13
Changes in Study Abroad 14
Experiential Learning 15
Service Learning 16
Ethnocultural Empathy 18
Global-Mindedness 22
Measuring Study Abroad Outcomes 24
GLOSSARI Project 25
Other Study Abroad Outcome Studies 26
Length of Study Abroad 29
Higher Education and Global-Mindedness 31
Globalization at Home 33
Measuring On-Campus Globalization 35
Summary 37
Research Questions 38
Hypotheses 39

CHAPTER III METHOD 41
Participants 41
Instruments 42
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Demographic Questionnaire 42
Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy 42
Global-Mindedness Scale 45
Procedures 46
Design 48
Proposed Data Analysis 48

CHAPTER IV RESULTS 50
Preliminary Analyses 50
Ethnocultural Empathy 57
Global-Mindedness 59
Previous Experience Abroad 61
CHAPTER V DISCUSSION 62
Hypotheses 1 & 2 63
Hypotheses 3 & 4 66
Limitations of Current Study 67
Implications for Future Research 68
Implications for Practice 70
Summary 72

REFERENCES 73
APPENDICES 85
Appendix A 86
Appendix B 87
Appendix C 88
Appendix D 90
Appendix E 92
Appendix F 93
Appendix G 96
Appendix H 97

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List of Tables

Table Page
A. Descriptive Statistics: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Previous Experience Abroad, 54
Time Spent Abroad Previously, Previous Multicultural Course Experience
B. Correlation Matrix of Independent and Dependent Variables 56
C. Ethnocultural Empathy: Mean Scores for Groups, Gender, and
Previous Experience Abroad 58
D. Global-Mindedness: Mean Scores for Groups, Gender, and 59
Previous Experience Abroad
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IMPACT OF STUDY ABROAD 1

Chapter 1

The effects of globalization on today’s world are widespread. An increase in
implementation of multicultural issues and cross-cultural awareness is evident throughout
institutions of higher education, as universities try to meet the demands for students to enter a
globalized world. One way universities are responding to these demands is by placing a greater
emphasis on study abroad programs. According to research conducted by the Institute of
International Education (IIE), study abroad was pursued by more than 200,000 American
students enrolled in American colleges and universities in the 2004-05 school year (Akande &
Slawson, 2000). This number is up from roughly 85,000 students in 1994-95, showing an
increase of 144 percent in 10 years. Additionally, both the U.S. Department of Education and the
U.S. State Department have recognized International Education Week since the year 2000
(Banks & Erbland, 2002). Despite the increase in participation of study abroad programs, only
about 1% of the American students enrolled in post-secondary institutions choose to study
abroad each year (Davis, 2001).
Students who study abroad often speak of their personal growth, increased sensitivity to
and understanding of cultures other than their own, and their enhanced knowledge of world
affairs. The question remains, however, whether students who study abroad actually benefit more
from their multicultural experiences as opposed to students who do not study abroad.
Universities infuse multicultural education into their course offerings, and strongly encourage
students to travel during their college careers (an often expensive undertaking). Do students
taking an on-campus multicultural course gain as much cross-cultural awareness as students who
IMPACT OF STUDY ABROAD 2

choose to study abroad? Are students who choose not to study abroad or take a multicultural
course at the greatest disadvantage in terms of cross-cultural awareness?
Globalization
As globalization and competition in the job market continues to increase, Americans need
to put aside the values of independence and individualism and find new ways of thinking and
behaving to encourage interdependence and understanding across cultures. According to the U.S.
Census Bureau (2004), one in five U.S. jobs is now tied to international trade. Additionally, most
U.S. companies expect the majority of their growth to be in overseas markets, meaning they will
require an increasing number of internationally competent employees. According to the
Committee for Economic Development (2006):
To compete successfully in the global marketplace, both U.S.-based multinational
corporations as well as small businesses increasingly need employees with knowledge of
foreign languages and cultures to market products to customers around the globe and to
work effectively with foreign employees and partners in other cultures. (p. 2)
Universities, thus, are charged with helping as many students as possible gain international
competence.
Internationalization of Higher Education
Institutions of higher education have succeeded in graduating more global-minded and
culturally aware students through study abroad programs. Studying abroad allows students to
live and study outside their home country. Though some argue studying abroad offers an
immersion experience unmatched by traditional coursework, it is not the only answer to making
higher education more globalized. Universities are consistently incorporating diversity and